Networking Personal Computers with TCP/IP By Craig Hunt 1st Edition July 1995 1-56592-123-2, Order Number: 1232 408 pages, $32.95

Sample Chapters
Windows 95 TCP/IP

In this Chapter:
Installing Windows 95 TCP/IP
Windows 95 PPP
Creating Login Scripts
Windows 95 SLIP
Windows 95 Network Applications
Summary

Windows 95, the latest generation of Windows, is an entirely new operating system. It is designed to be compatible with software written for Windows 3.1 and DOS, but Windows 95 is not dependent on DOS nor is it simply a new version of Windows. Its key features are:

• A fully integrated operating system. Windows 95 does not depend on DOS; it replaces it. The PC boots directly into Windows 95. The new operating system provides all its own I/O support. DOS applications are run from Windows 95.
• A completely new user interface. The Windows Program Manager and File Manager are gone, replaced by a new desktop interface.
• Built-in network support. Windows 95 includes TCP/IP, NetWare, and NetBEUI protocols.
• Extensive use of 32-bit code. The kernel is 32-bit protected mode code, which should greatly improve reliability. Most of the operating system is constructed from 32-bit code. Only modules that require backward compatibility with Windows 3.1 use 16-bit code.
• Preemptive multitasking. 32-bit applications can take advantage of true preemptive multitasking. 16-bit applications are still limited to cooperative multitasking.
• Improved system management. Windows 95 includes new tools for managing systems and users. The tools are accessible over the network so that PCs can be remotely managed. All configuration parameters are centralized in a single database. Plug-and-Play support is built into the operating system to simplify hardware configuration.

The most noticeable change is the new user interface, but from the perspective of the network administrator it is the least significant change. No matter what the interface, the configuration requirements of TCP/IP remain the same. You still must install and configure the network hardware and software. If you skipped the first three chapters where PC and LAN hardware, and TCP/IP installation planning are discussed, you may want to go back and review them now. The material in this chapter assumes that you understand TCP/IP concepts and PC hardware. In the following sections we configure TCP/IP on a Windows 95 system using examples based on the August 1995 version of the operating system.

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